Condition 1, 2, and 3 is the IICRC S520 framework that classifies the fungal state of an indoor space: Condition 1 is normal fungal ecology, Condition 2 is settled spores or fragments from a nearby Condition 3 source, and Condition 3 is actual fungal growth.
What is Condition 1, 2, 3?
S520 describes the target of remediation in terms of returning a space to Condition 1, normal fungal ecology comparable to a similar building with no mold problem. Condition 2 means a space has elevated settled spores or fungal fragments tracked or settled from a Condition 3 area, but no active growth of its own. Condition 3 is the presence of actual mold growth and associated contamination. The point of the framework is to define "done": remediation succeeds when the space is returned to Condition 1. The full S520 text is paywalled, so this is cited at the conceptual level the IICRC and EPA public materials support, without inventing section numbers (IICRC, About the standards).
Why it matters to a mold inspection
The framework gives post-remediation verification a defined goal: confirm the space is back to Condition 1, not merely that the visible mold is gone. It also explains why a room next to active growth can need attention even without its own colony, because settled spores make it Condition 2. The EPA's parallel message is that the goal of remediation is to remove growth and return conditions to normal, with moisture controlled so it does not recur (EPA, Mold Remediation in Schools and Commercial Buildings). See post-remediation verification sampling and clearance letters.
MoldMind captures the assessed condition and the remediation goal as structured fields, so a report states the target return-to-Condition-1 explicitly rather than implying it.
Sources
- IICRC, About the standards: S520 frames remediation around returning a space to normal fungal ecology (Condition 1).
- EPA, Mold Remediation in Schools and Commercial Buildings: the goal is to remove growth and return conditions to normal with moisture controlled.