How can you tell if a wall is a load bearing wall?

i want to open up my kitchen and dining room, how do i know if the wall between is a load bearing wall? Thanks!

go to the basement and check the main beams(the ones with supporting columns or posts) if their is a main beam running beneath a wall that is above it, then that wall is likely load-bearing. a wall that runs continuous through the entire length of a house is also likely load bearing.

Common sense tells me that if there is anything heavy above it, like a water bed, it is. If there is just an attic, then no, probably not.

Look in the attic. If the wall is supporting anything like ceiling joist (which run perpendicluar to the wall) then it is load-bearing.

Look at the blueprints if available or go into the Attic and see what joist structures lay over the wall. It is possible to substitute an "I" beam across a span, if the ends are built right and the beam is large and strong enough. Get a real expert to make that call and also to install that type of modification.

Well, if the house was built in the last 100 years, the wall itself is probably not load bearing. It's wood studs with drywall attached. BUT, some of those studs might be supporting the weight of your second story or roof. The specific studs that need to support whatever you have above will usually be doubled. You can certainly take the drywall off with no trouble, and look for yourself. You can still open up the room but those studs that are supporting stuff above need to remain--you can make them into columns. I do highly recommend you have a professional contractor (licensed and with a good rating) have a look at it before you remove any studs you THINK are unnecessary--and you can still do the work yourself. Consider any consultation costs will be much, much less than if you inflict any serious damage. ;)

if you have to ask this, and i am not try to sound like a smart butt,
you may need some outside help. with out the drawings/blueprints of the home and not to be at your house, it is impossible to recommend what your next course of action should be.as was said you may need some structural support with a I beam or other modifications. you can hire a structural engineer to look at you're home or maybe the zoning people
in you're county to check it out.

If it has walls above it it is load bearing/ load bearing means it has the weight of the building onit.
load bearing walls are those on the outside, pation walls such as in the halls.

Look at the rooms and thier walls on the next floor. if the walls of those walls are over a wall underneath then the one under it is load bearing.

All lower floor walls are load beariong to some extent.

Knock it down, if the ceiling and roof come tumbling in it was a load bearing wall. If nothing happens its not. Go ahead do it, I dare you. Go ahead, come on.

Go to the Attic and find out which direction the ceiling joists are running. If the joists are running the opposite direction of the wall
(across not with) than it is load bearing. If you just want a large window than install a 2x10 header and double up the cripples
( the 2x4 studs on the sides holding up the header ) these need to go all the way from the header to the 2x4 down on the floor.
Use plenty of supports for safety in the proses.
Good luck you'll do fine.

Knock it out! If the roof falls down then it is probobly load bearing.