What does mold look like?

Identifying mold takes more than guesswork. As a home inspector, it is important to understand what is and isn't likely to be mold growth and the proper approach to helping your customer make sense of it all.

[@jimsackerman]

Thanks for the information and video

[@sitori663]

The widely used Air O Cell test only tests the air in a 3 foot circumference for on average 10 minutes. It is the least effective of all the testing methods yet the one most mold "inspectors" use. Plus you can take an Air O Cell sample of an area at three different times of the day and get 3 different results. It is NOT a reliable test of the air quality in a room and especially a building.
It is meant to be an aid in an inspection and help the inspector determine if there is mold somewhere that is not visible.
There are better ways to test the air quality in a building or home but they all have limitations and rely on the inspector doing the testing properly and according to industry standards, which in my opinion as a Certified Mold Inspector and licensed attorney, most do not do.
Great video. Concise and informative. As you said, until the area is tested you can't say for certain if it is mold. It should be tested especially if there was a water intrusion event.

[@borderpropertyinspections2634]

Thanks for the constructive critique. Im not sure where the 3' data comes from but I'd agree that it is only a tool and not a great one at that. To my understanding, the mold levels do fluctuate even from morning to afternoon and that is why proper recording of temperatures and humidity and outside conditions are important.
I often say figures don't lie but liers figure. I've seen residential deals fall apart because a particular lab will report, "20x more mold inside a home than outside". That scares people but when the outside number is 12 spores per cubic meter and the inside is only 240 spores per cubic meter, that is still a very small number considering it is common to find up to 700 spores per square meter in outside air.
I generally discourage air testing with my inspections. I say let me have a good look at the house and see if I'm concerned based upon my findings. Then if I find mold or smell odors, I tell the client to make sure they still want the house based upon the entire inspection before bringing me back to test the air. In many cases the client decides not to buy the home for a plethora of reasons. If I tried to sell them on air testing with my inspection I'd stand to make addition $$$, but that person would have wasted their money.
I know a lot of inspectors are cashing in on air sampling as an added feature of their inspection but I for one will not be doing that. I hate it when people rip me off and I don't want to do it to my customers. Thanks again for your input. Happy when I get feed back of any kind. UA-cam is simply my way to educate my customers in the things I feel I can help with the little knowledge I have to share.