Mold Inspection
Air Samples - We use an air pump calibrated for the sample cassette in use. It pulls air through the intake allowing spores to pass over the collection plate inside. We take a control sample from the outside of the home and compare it to samples taken inside. The difference in spores collected shows what is or is not present in the home.
Bio-Tape Slide
Sampling Swabs
Contact Samples - For contact sampling we use Bio-Tape slides and Swab Sampling. These require actually contacting the suspected growth and sealing the sample (in case or tube) and delivering to the lab to be analyzed.
What is mold?
Simple answer - Mold is Fungi. Mold is a naturally occurring organism found both indoors and outdoors. It is an integral part of the ecosystem that breaks down organic material through digestion. Mold only needs two things to grow and spread - moisture and food. Mold spores enter the home by floating on the air from the exterior and grow on surfaces when they find organic material that can be used as food. When you see mold on inorganic material it is using something else on the surface as a food source - such as dust on a storage box or soap scum on shower door. 
There are three major concerns with mold being found inside the home according to InterNACHI:1) the potential health effects of exposure to fungi and their byproducts.2) the effects of fungal contamination on the structural integrity of a building; and3) the negative aesthetic effects fungi can produce both visually and on the human olfactory system.The best way to prevent mold from occurring is proper moisture intrusion control. Believe it or not, very simple things can lead to mold growth, and there are very simple solutions. Our goals as home inspectors are to first identify if there is mold growth or not and second to find out why it is occurring and third how to prevent it in the future.Moisture Penetration vs Water Intrusion
Water intrusion is but is not limited to water flowing into the building from an active leak such as a hole in the roof or a flood situation. 
Moisture can enter from the exterior or build up from the interior. Moisture can be vapor, spills in the bathroom, moist air entering through cracks in the building envelope or from poor grading around the house. 