To prepare making hardy horizontal lintil soup for the cold days..... 

Hold the bricks up over the fireplace.

So this has nothing to do with lentil soup?

Barbara Todaro - thanks once again for sharing your knowledge with us.

Make sure Santa's slide down the chimney is a safe one.

Learning something here everyday.

Brick soup for those very cold days 

I've seen the lintel sag with stone laid above it over too great an expanse..like a 2 car garage with no center  support. Usually the lintel was not long enough and install improperly. I've had a builder come back and tear off the masonry above because of the cracking of the stone and lintel sagging.

Thanks for the lesson.

We are always learning in real estate

And now I know "the rest of the story".   

Sam Shueh nailed this one!

Watching the process in the new construction across the street!

Such good instruction, Barbara!

Thanks for another construction quiz, Barbara.

Now I really know the correct answer

Oh my gosh!  I just got a report back today for one of my sellers that was missing one!  It wasn't our typical masonry lintel over a window - it was over a crawl space vent. 

Barbara Todaro Now, I know meaning of "Masonry Lintel." Thanks!

I think it is used at the tops of windows, so the bricks can be put above them to continue up the wall.  Can't do bricks on nothing.

To serve as a ledge to hold up the brick.

I believe it helps to support the brick or other masonry work.

I don't know. 

Decoration?  or is that a listel?

I think it is used to remove moisture behind brick

Got me on this one Barbara Todaro 

Thank you.

Wow!  Thanks!!!