You should have an annual chimney inspection by a reputable chimney sweep organization such as Still Smoking Chimney Service. Depending on how often you use your fireplace to burn wood, creosote residue will build up in your chimney. While it’s nice to think that you can DIY any problem that comes up in your home, sometimes professional experience is something that you can’t learn through an online tutorial. Although it might look easy on a YouTube video, cleaning and maintaining your chimney and fireplace can be hard and dangerous work. DIY is about saving money, but having to invest in expensive professional tools defeats that purpose. Professional chimney sweeps already have access to the best tools for the job.