You'll want to know how to tell if a wall is load-bearing before you remove or alter it to merge rooms, add space, or rethink your home's layout. Several clues can help you determine this, even ...

Dear James: I see these makeover shows on television. I want to open up my kitchen to the family room and it would be fun to knock out the wall myself. Someone said to be careful of bearing walls.

Knocking down internal walls is often top of the list of jobs when renovating a house. And although there's no doubting the transformative effect it can have on dark and gloomy rooms, it's not a job ...