Midland sits at the center of the Permian Basin in West Texas, where summer temperatures regularly exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit and the sun bears down on low-pitched roofs with very little shade from trees. The city averages only about 14 inches of rain per year, which means the dry season is long and the caliche and sandy soil under most homes dries out and contracts for months at a time. That constant expansion and contraction opens small gaps around foundation walls and wall penetrations that become direct pathways for heat infiltration in summer and cold drafts when a hard front rolls through.

A large portion of Midland's housing stock was built during the oil booms of the 1970s and 1980s, which means many homes are now 40 to 50 years old and were built to insulation standards that fall well short of what the climate demands today. Brick veneer ranch homes dominate the neighborhoods, and while brick holds up well against the intense sun and wind, it does not insulate on its own. The wall cavities behind that brick exterior are where the real thermal work happens, and those cavities in many Midland homes have inadequate or degraded insulation.

Midland winters are mostly mild, but the city gets genuine hard freezes during Arctic cold fronts. The February 2021 winter storm hit the Permian Basin hard, and many Midland homeowners discovered that their insulation was not adequate to protect pipes during a sustained deep freeze. A properly insulated and air-sealed home handles both the summer cooling challenge and the winter freeze risk with the same improvements.

Midland is a city of about 132,000 people and the commercial heart of the Permian Basin, the most productive oil-producing region in North America. The city's economy rises and falls with oil prices, which means its homeowner base shifts more than most Texas cities, with workers moving in during booms and some leaving during downturns. Long-term residents tend to be protective of their homes and practical about maintenance, knowing that the West Texas environment is hard on a house.

The residential neighborhoods around downtown include older blocks built in the 1950s and 1960s, while the north and west sides of the city have seen steady new construction over the past two decades. The dominant housing type across all of Midland is the single-story brick ranch home on a flat lot, with wide rooflines and attached garages. Median home values have climbed sharply in recent years as oil booms have raised household incomes well above the national average, and many homeowners here are willing to invest in quality improvements when they know the work will last.

We also serve homeowners in Odessa, Midland's neighbor about 20 miles to the west, where the housing stock and climate conditions are similar. To schedule an estimate in Midland, call us at (325) 283-1586 or use the contact form on this site.