Basements often get a bad rap. They can be dark, dank, and depressing, and are some of the most challenging spaces in a home to remodel. But the rewards of tackling a basement remodel are potentially enormous—transforming an otherwise ignored space into a bright, open, and usable asset, perfect for a spare bedroom for guests, a game room for the kids, or a den for the adults.

In Basements Complete, author Steve Cory covers the most popular remodeling approaches and projects for basements, including information on preventing mold and mildew, moving pipes up or over to make more headroom, bringing more light into a dark space, mitigating radon, and sealing floors and walls. Additionally, some of the projects—such as flooring, plumbing, and wiring—apply to other rooms in the house, but are treated here with an eye towards basement needs.