How Living Near a Railroad Affects Your Home's Air Quality

Trains rolling through often and making tons of noises can be the least of your worries if you live near a railroad. Every time a train passes down the tracks, they also kick up a bunch of dirt and debris into the air. Where does it go from there? Into your home. Here’s what you need to know about your home’s air quality if you live nearby train tracks. 

Increased Dust and Debris

Trains come through at high speeds and when they do, the impact on the tracks causes any dirt or debris sitting on them to be flung up into the air. Any time you open the windows or doors in your home, those particles can find their way in. Often, this leads to an increase in dust. For those who have poor ventilation systems, allergy symptoms could worsen.

Marks On Ceiling

Have you noticed that there are lines on your ceilings and walls? Actually, they’re not just any random lines, they are the interior skeleton of your home being shown. This is because of the dirt building up between your walls and roof, causing marks to appear all over your home. Not only will you have to plan for a few paint jobs to fix this, but it also means that the strong buildup of dust and contaminants between your walls will greatly affect your home’s air quality.

Attic and Crawlspace Issues

The dust that comes into your home easily now can also make its way into your crawl spaces and attic, which almost guarantees air quality issues. No matter what, debris and dirt will buildup in these areas to begin with. However, with increased dust flow due to the train rolling by, you may have to schedule a few good cleanings throughout the year in these areas.


Taking care of your home when you live near a railroad can be a time consuming task, and it is often best to bring in some professionals to help. Keep up with your routine cleaning and get your home checked annually or routinely. Contact GreenPro Cleaning and Restoration to take care of your ducts, attics, crawlspaces, and water damage.