ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) - As temperatures drop, local plant owners are urged to take precautions to protect their greenery. Greg Daniell, owner of ABC Nursery, advises covering plants with fabric blankets to shield them from the cold.

|READ MORE: Near record cold until Wednesday afternoon|

“You want to use some type of blanket that’s a fabric; you don’t want to use plastic if you can help it,” Daniell said. He explained that plastic can create a greenhouse effect, potentially burning plants if not removed when the sun comes out. “Fabric of some type, whether that’s winter protection fabric or a blanket or anything that you can find around the house that you can leave on there for several days,” is ideal.

Daniell also suggested moving plants into a garage or carport as another effective way to protect them during freezing conditions.

As cold weather prompts many to reach for space heaters, fire safety experts are urging caution. These popular heating devices are a common cause of house fires, particularly when they are accidentally knocked over.

Mike McPherson, a store manager at Ace Hardware, emphasizes the importance of purchasing heaters equipped with a safety shut-down mechanism. “When you’re picking out a heater it’s always good to get one that has a tip over shut down safety feature, most of ours do have that,” McPherson said. “That way if a pet or a child inadvertently knocks the heater over it would shut the heater off instantly.”

McPherson also advised against using extension cords with space heaters. He noted that most extension cords are not rated to handle the significant energy draw of these appliances, posing an additional fire risk.

Homeowners face a significant risk of bursting pipes as temperatures plummet, a problem that can lead to extensive water damage. When water freezes, it expands, creating immense pressure within pipes that can cause them to crack or rupture.

Bentley Griffin of Metro Plumbing and Power recommends a simple yet effective preventative measure: dripping both hot and cold water faucets overnight.

“The idea behind the water flowing through the pipes is when water is in motion it takes a colder temperature for the water to freeze, so you want to keep that motion going through all the pipes,” Griffin explained. “It’s important to drip the hot and cold side because it could freeze on the hot side if there’s not any movement coming on that side and same way on the cold side.”

Griffin also advises opening cabinet doors beneath sinks throughout the night. This allows warmer air from the house to circulate around the pipes, providing additional protection against freezing.

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