Mason:

It appears that we have a leak from an upstairs shower, right over our dining room table below. Is this a job for a plumber or a handyman service, or what?

Bob S., Glen Allen, VA

Bob,

Most know that the works of Frank Lloyd Wright were fraught with technical problems.  I recall the story of an angry letter from Edgar Kaufmann (owner of the famous Fallingwater house) to Mr. Wright, complaining of a roof leak over his dining room table.  Wright's flip response:  "What a perfect place for a bowl!".

Seriously, though, let's first get familiar with the particulars of your shower, toward

Mason,

I have a small (1400 sf) old Cape. There is a wall with a double-door opening that separates the living room from a small sunroom. Around the corner from that, there is a tiny bathroom and corridor that separates that sunroom from the kitchen. I'd really like to remove the wall and the bathroom and open the whole space up. My question is, what are the factors that need to be considered to do this and keep my house from falling down? I hear the term "load bearing wall" and don't really know how to tell. And, what if it is? Can I still open up the space? 

This clearly is a job for a pro

Something everyone should know about new or old bathrooms - ventilate!

As I see it, there are two reasons to have proper ventilation in a bath or powder room.  The first, to protect your home from excessive airborne moisture that will accumulate in the air during a tub bath or shower.  Moisture creates mold and deterioration of finishes and underlying structure.  Secondly, and even applicable to washrooms without showers, is the desire to exhaust (uhhh... how to politely say this?) unsavory odors which may occur from toilet use.

Bathrooms without windows are required by Code to have