Work directly with Jeff · Independent testing · Results explained
HERTSMI-2 Dust Testing in Charleston, SC
Get clear answers about mold in your home's dust.
When health concerns make questions about your home more pressing, you need understandable findings and a clear next step.
I'm Jeff Suggs, owner of Charleston Mold Testing. I offer HERTSMI-2 dust testing for Charleston-area households seeking focused environmental information, including people with mold sensitivities, autoimmune conditions, cancer-treatment concerns, or other underlying health conditions.
Choose dust testing on its own or with indoor air quality testing. Every lab report includes a post-test summary explaining the results, so you have information you can understand and share with your healthcare provider.
HERTSMI-2 dust testing: $500 | With indoor air quality testing: $750
Call 843-460-2835 to discuss your property and testing needs.
Understand your environment before deciding what comes next
If you're worried about mold, choosing a test can feel like another problem to solve. Start with the question you need answered. I'll discuss your property concerns and any environmental testing instructions from your healthcare provider before you select a service.
- Get focused findings. HERTSMI-2 examines settled dust for five selected mold species rather than trying to answer every indoor air quality question with one test.
- Understand the report. Your included post-test summary explains the lab results and helps you identify questions or property concerns that need follow-up.
- Keep testing separate from cleanup sales. I do not sell mold remediation or repairs, so my findings do not come with a cleanup contract.
- Bring useful information to your healthcare provider. Share the environmental report while your clinician handles questions about symptoms, treatment, and personal precautions.
Environmental testing does not diagnose illness, establish the cause of symptoms, or certify a property as medically safe.
Testing for households with specific health concerns
You may be exploring environmental testing because you are sensitized to indoor conditions, managing an autoimmune condition, receiving cancer treatment, or caring for someone with an underlying health concern.
You may also have a healthcare provider who has specifically requested HERTSMI-2 testing. Bring those environmental sampling instructions when you contact me so we can discuss whether the proposed service matches the request.
You do not need to know which package to choose before calling. Tell me what raised the concern: a past leak, recurring musty odor, previous cleanup, or a specific testing request.
For background on precautions, read the CDC's guidance for people with weakened immune systems. It explains health risks and avoidance precautions; it does not endorse HERTSMI-2 testing.
Health conditions and treatments affect people differently. Your healthcare provider should advise you about personal exposure precautions and occupancy decisions. If you have been advised to avoid a mold-affected building, do not wait for a test result to follow that advice.
Not sure which option to discuss?
Choose the statement that fits your question. This helps you prepare for a conversation with me; it is not a medical assessment or an automatic testing recommendation.
Start by reviewing the $500 dust-testing option. Bring the exact environmental testing request so we can confirm the method and sampling scope before you book.
Review the $750 combined option. We'll discuss whether both methods answer your property questions and confirm the included samples before scheduling.
Start with your property concern. A mold inspection may help establish whether sampling would add useful information. You do not need to select a package before contacting me.
Choose your testing option
HERTSMI-2 Dust Testing
$500
Get focused laboratory information about five selected molds in settled dust.
This option is for customers seeking HERTSMI-2 analysis, including those whose healthcare provider has requested this particular environmental test.
- Dust sample collection for HERTSMI-2 laboratory analysis.
- Lab results for the five targeted mold species and the associated score.
- A post-test summary explaining the laboratory findings.
HERTSMI-2 Dust Testing With Indoor Air Quality Testing
$750
Add information about sampled indoor air alongside your dust results.
This option combines HERTSMI-2 dust testing with indoor air quality testing. Dust and air sampling examine different materials and can provide complementary environmental information.
- HERTSMI-2 dust testing.
- Indoor air quality testing within the agreed scope.
- Lab reports with a post-test summary explaining the results.
Before booking, confirm the included sample counts, collection locations, and what the air testing measures. This package does not test for every possible indoor pollutant.
Before you book
Your report and payment
Your lab report is released once your invoice is paid.
Step 1Testing & lab analysis
Jeff collects your samples and sends them to the lab for analysis.
Step 2Pay your invoiceRequired
Invoice must be paid to receive lab report.
Step 3Report + post-test summary
All lab reports come with a post-test summary explaining the lab results.
Refund policy: No refunds for received lab reports.
Optional remediation protocol: $300 additional. This is separate from the included post-test summary. Ask about its scope before adding it. Charleston Mold Testing does not perform cleanup or repairs.
Confirm sampling scope, laboratory turnaround, and any travel charges before scheduling.
From your first question to explained results
Have a deadline? Mention it before booking. HERTSMI-2 turnaround depends on laboratory processing and sample transport; confirm timing for your appointment.
- 01
Discuss the property and your testing goal
Tell me where the property is, what concerns you, and whether your healthcare provider has requested a specific environmental test. We'll discuss the appropriate scope, cost, and expected timing.
- 02
Arrange collection and laboratory analysis
Dust is collected using a method appropriate to the laboratory's instructions. If you select the combined option, the agreed indoor air quality testing is also arranged.
- 03
Receive your report and post-test summary
Once analysis is complete and your invoice is paid, you receive your lab report with the explanatory summary. I'll discuss the environmental findings and their limitations so you can make an informed decision about property follow-up.
What HERTSMI-2 measures—and why it matters
HERTSMI-2 uses mold-specific quantitative polymerase chain reaction, or MSQPCR, to measure DNA from five selected mold species in settled dust. The results produce a weighted score for the sampled dust.
The five species, sometimes called the “Big 5,” are:
- Aspergillus penicillioides
- Aspergillus versicolor
- Chaetomium globosum
- Stachybotrys chartarum, sometimes called black mold
- Wallemia sebi
This focused panel can help answer a specific environmental testing question. It does not measure all molds, directly measure mycotoxins, or determine how much mold a person has inhaled.
Dust testing versus air sampling
- Method
- HERTSMI-2 dust testing
- What it examines
- DNA from five selected molds in collected dust
- What to keep in mind
- Dust accumulation and cleaning history affect the sample; it cannot establish a precise exposure timeline.
- Method
- Mold air sampling
- What it examines
- Mold particles captured from air during sampling
- What to keep in mind
- Results describe the sampling period and are affected by conditions at collection.
Neither method finds every hidden problem. If you need help investigating an odor, leak, or suspected growth, ask about mold inspection and testing as part of defining the service you need.
Serving Charleston-area homes and properties
I serve Charleston, West Ashley, North Charleston, Mount Pleasant, Summerville, James Island, Johns Island, and surrounding Lowcountry communities. Check the service area or call to confirm availability for your address.
Tell me about the building's water history and the rooms that concern you. A repaired roof leak, recurring HVAC condensation, or a previous crawl-space moisture problem can raise different sampling questions. The testing plan should reflect the property and your concern.
For Beaufort, Hilton Head, or other locations farther from Charleston, confirm availability and travel arrangements before booking.
Questions before you book
Get a clear testing plan for your property
You have a concern about your home. Let's identify what you need to understand and which testing option can help answer that question.
Call me to discuss HERTSMI-2 dust testing, the combined dust-and-air option, pricing, and availability.
Prefer to talk? Call 843-460-2835